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Clean Energy Council update If you’re passionate about renewable energy or being a Clean Energy Councilaccredited solar installer, you’ll be excited about several upcoming events. The All-Energy Australia Conference, supported by the Clean Energy Council, is coming up in Melbourne from October 7 to 8. Attendance at the event – including the solar conference and Professional Development Day – will be free. The All-Energy Australia Conference is rapidly gaining a reputation for being the best place to hear all the latest developments in the solar industry, and better yet – by attending both the Professional Development Day and the ATRAA conference you can get 100 CPD points at no charge. Visit www.all-energy. com.au for more details. If you’re more interested in getting updates on the clean energy policy and finance landscape, the Australian Clean Energy Summit coming up from July 15 to 16 in Sydney is a must-attend event. The summit will draw the most senior people from the renewable energy industry together in
Framing demonstration hosted by Clenergy at the 2014 Clean Energy Week.
one place to discuss the latest political, financial and business developments impacting the sector, including the fallout from the review of the Renewable Energy Target.
• August – Geelong, Bendigo, Perth and Hobart Accredited Installer Nights
For more details or to register, visit www.cleanenergysummit.com.au
Each Installer Night is worth 50 CPD points for eligible installers and costs $35 to attend.
Still want more? There are Accredited Installer Nights coming up across the country:
• September – Adelaide Accredited Installer Night
Check www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/ events for more details or to register.
Government asleep at the wheel as dangerous cable recall drags on It’s been almost two years since Master Electricians Australia (MEA) blew the whistle on Infinity cables and since then, very little has been done. Recently, the ACCC issued yet another media release about the dangers of imported faulty cables including Infinity and Olsent brands. MEA is urging the government to do more to ensure all Australians are aware of the possibility there may be dangerous cables installed in their homes or businesses. Questions need to be answered. How many home owners would know if they had this cable installed or how many Australians would read a media release from ACCC? And if by chance they did see it, how many would know what to do? And who to call?
MEA CEO Malcolm Richards says under current government regulations, there is no set time period to have homes or businesses checked to find out if this product has been installed, leaving consumers in the dark and on their own. “In the manner the ACCC has designed the partial recall, contractors and the public are not likely to report the existence of the cable in their homes. Instead, some are selling their homes to unsuspecting buyers without informing them,” Mr Richards says. “It beggars belief that after two years, consumers remain at risk of fire or electric shock. It is also staggering that regulators have done nothing to stop this happening.
“These potentially deadly products have been in thousands of households and businesses around the country for far too long.” Mr Richards says more needs to be done and MEA will continue to push for a thorough review of the product certification process to prevent future incidents. “Enough is enough. We need tougher laws so these products don’t slip through the cracks again,” he says. Both ‘INFINITY’ and ‘OLSENT’ branded cables were supplied in Australia through Masters Home Improvement and 16 other smaller outlets from March 2012 to September 2013. The Master Electrician
Winter 2015